When a Prank Caller Gets a Date with the Commander-in-Chief
It seems you can prank the President while he’s on a jet—no big deal, right? The stage was set on a Wednesday night when John Melendez, the voice of The Stuttering John Podcast, pretended to be New Jersey Senator Robert Menendez (yes, that’s the guy who almost got into a corruption scandal, but the charges were later dismissed).
The Setup
Melendez called what he claimed was the White House “on behalf of an aide” to the senator. To his surprise—and our disbelief—the call went straight through to President Donald Trump while the president was flying on Air Force One.
What They Talked About
In the audio clip that Melendez posted (and is now circulating on the podcast), the president’s voice can be heard responding to what the comedian called the “senator.” The conversation was less “candidate debate” and more “random banter.” Topics included:
- Immigration policy (a common political hot‑button)
- Recommending a new Justice for the Supreme Court after Justice Anthony Kennedy is set to retire
During the call, Melendez even threw in some political jab about the “tough situation” the president supposedly faced. It’s hard to tell if any of this was actually President Trump or just a prankster in a voice mask.
The Protocol Quandary
Imagine the chaos: a prank caller on a trans‑Atlantic flight talking with the commander‑in‑chief. Whether it was a genuine cue from the White House or a prankster’s ruse, the situation raises questions about who gets to talk to the president from the sky.
White House Response
The administration has yet to comment on the incident, leaving us all to wonder if this is the new normal for presidential communication.
In the meantime, we can only hope that next week’s prank call involves a bit more humor and less official talk. After all, if a comedian can get a conversation with the President on a plane, maybe the next upgrade is a seat in the Oval Office—just as long as the humor sticks to the “no‑shame” side of politics!
